title: Insulin resistance is associated with DNA damage in peripheral blood cells in non-diabetic patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In chronic liver diseases of different etiologies, including viral hepatitis, genotoxic effects of oxidative stress have been shown, both in clinical and in experimental conditions, suggesting that this mechanism may contribute to the evolution of the disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate DNA damage in the peripheral blood of untreated non-diabetic patients with chronic hepatitis C and control subjects, and its correlation with demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and histological parameters in the patient sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study comprised 100 subjects of both genders, 60 of whom were treatment-naïve patients with positive serology for genotype 1 hepatitis C. The remaining 40 were blood donors with negative serology for hepatitis who were used as control subjects, and matched by gender, age, weight, and BMI. DNA damage was determined using the comet assay in the total peripheral blood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DNA damage evaluated by the comet assay revealed higher values in the group of patients with hepatitis compared with that in the control group. The relationships of the comet assay with the studied variables were assessed using multivariate analysis; significant correlations were only identified with insulin (r = 0.343, p = 0.008) and Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) (r = 0.331, p = 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C have higher rates of DNA damage, as determined by comet assay and this alteration is correlated with the HOMA index of insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Sakae
authors.forename: S S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Parise
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin